Mob-ile Parliament / Andrew Maynard

Australia-basedAndrew Maynardhas shared a new type of governmental building with us with a project that is as much a statement about pushing the realm of architecture forward, as it is a reaction to political happenings and the need for change. This adaptable architecture builds upon the irony of a democracy where elected representatives supposedly represent the voice of the people, yet, the occupied governmental spaces are “fortified and spatially manipulated to the benefit of the representative rather than those represented.” By allowing the represented to interact with the spatial qualities of the representatives, Maynard’s mobile and adaptable structure becomes a ” democratic architecture.”

More images and more about the project after the break.

“So, how do we allow the will of the people to manipulate parliamentary space to express dissatisfaction with, or celebration of, their representatives? How do we allow them to be seen and to contribute to physical/spatial change, even if only symbolically?” questioned Maynard.

Maynard’s new spatial concept for governmental buildings creates a building that can be “manipulated” by the masses to express their satisfaction, or dissatisfaction, with the contributions of elected representatives. ”The abrupt, confrontational nature of direct physical interaction is what drives the Mobile Parliament. Though safe within, the politician’s access to view and light can be democratically controlled by the public,” explained Maynard.